first sight
by ladybugisbored
Summary: "Tch, no one is that stupid to wait that long," he said to himself. Nonetheless, he started to ascend the stairs. As he pushed open the door, he was stopped by what he saw. Across him stand a woman, black hair and red scarf softly being blown by the wind.
1. Chapter 1

His eyes twitched as he saw the pile of letters in his locker. No, "a pile of letters" is an understatement. His locker is overflowing with letters. Some of them had already spilled to floor, making a mess at his feet. "Woohooo!" a familiar voice cooed. "Seems like they are increasing more and more each week," Hanji said excitedly as she pick a letter from the floor. "_Levi, I am you're number one fun_..." Hanji read and winced at the errors in the letter. She picked another letter. The same reaction appeared. "Well, these letters would be a good sample for my research on the deteriorating written skills of students in our school..." she said as she finally slumped on the floor, still picking up the letters. "Oh, this one is good: _Levi, you are the best player I_ –"

"Do you know what this means Hanji?" Levi finally cut in.

"Huh? It means that you have an increasing number of admirers," she answered as she continued to pick and read the letters.

"This means that _someone_ had opened _my_ locker and probably _touched_ my things," Levi said through gritted teeth. Just the idea of other people pawing his things is enough to make his skin crawl. He almost shivered at the thought.

"Oh," was her only answer, understanding Levi's line of thought. "You know, just let them know that you are a clean freak. Maybe that would stop them from bothering you," Hanji continued, without even looking up from the letters she is reading. "Besides, shouldn't you be used to this already? You're the ace player of our basketball team and the top student of our batch, after all."

"Tch," was only Levi's response as he slammed his locker shut. _I'm going to disinfect my locker later,_ he thought as he starts to walk away.

"Oi, Levi! What do you plan to do with all these letters?" Hanji called. He continued walking. "If you don't want them, I'll just use them for my research…"

"Do whatever you want," Levi answered as he continued walking. "Aren't you coming to class, Hanji? The teacher has already entered our classroom," he asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Oh," Hanji said looking after Levi. "Oh!" Hanji suddenly scrambled to her feet and almost stumbled in her hurry.

* * *

The bell chimed signaling the end of class. Levi walked the corridors towards the cafeteria when he saw a crowd gathering in front of the freedom wall.

As he neared the crowd, he heard comments like, "What? Somewhat almost topped Levi?", or "Wow! That was only a .02 difference…" and "Looks like Levi found a competition with this one…" He was already standing behind the crowd before they noticed him.

"Levi," "It's Levi…" the crowd whispers as they moved out of the way to make way for him. Normally, he would have had just walked past the crowd but the whisperings caught his curiosity. He doesn't care about rankings. After all, in the past two years it was always the same – him being the number one, followed by Hanji then Irvin. He walked towards the bulletin board where the latest overall ranking is posted. Raising his head, he scanned the list, found his name at the top and below his name is written: Mikasa Ackerman.

"Looks like your number one position is being threatened, Levi," he heard Hanji chuckled from behind. He didn't answer but instead continued to look at the list before him.

The murmurings around them continued and he heard one of the students said: "Who is this Ackerman?" which someone answered with, "She's a new student. She transferred at the middle of the second quarter…"

"I heard that she was accelerated by two years…"

"Eh, really? How old is she then?"

"Fifteen? Sixteen? I don't know. What does it matter?"

_What does it matter, indeed? _He thought as he walked away from the bulletin followed by Hanji. _Ackerman, huh?_

* * *

_Damn that Hanji, _he cursed silently as he climbs the stairs leading to the rooftop. _If she is going to get the letters, she should have made sure that she had gotten everything, _he thought in irritation. After his last class, he immediately went over the task of disinfecting his locker. As he was removing his things, a paper fell on the floor. He did not pay it any attention, thinking that it was just a loose leaf from his notebook. When he finished his task of cleaning, he saw the paper again and noticed that something was written on it. He picked it up and read,

"_Meet me at the rooftop, 5:30 pm."_

It was all that was written. He checked his watch and found that it was already past six. _Well, it's not my fault that I didn't see it, _he thought. Not that he even cared. He gathered up his things and started to walk through the silent corridors. It is already late and there are only few people left in the school at this hours. He continued to walk and stopped when he realized that he was already walking towards the stairs leading to the rooftop.

"Tch, no one is that stupid to wait that long," he said to himself. Nonetheless, he started to ascend the stairs. As he pushed open the door, he was stopped by what he saw. Across him stand a woman, black hair and red scarf softly being blown by the wind.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Soorrryyy... I don't know what i am doing anymore .. haha _**

* * *

The woman looked at him with a surprised expression on her face. He didn't know what happened but for a moment he just stood there, frozen. He can't do anything but look – stare – at the woman across him.

"Sorry. I didn't know someone else would be here," she calmly said, surprise gone from her face. He watched as she picked up something – a flute? – from the floor. Her words brought him back from his temporary trance. That is when he realized that someone is behind him. He turned around and found a flushed girl, her hands clasped at her breast.

"Um, Levi…" the girl started but his attention is not with her. Instead, his eyes are following the movements of the black haired beauty – _wait, beauty?_ – as she walked past them. His eyes are still trained on her even as she descended the stairs. He was still looking after her even when she was already out of his sight. "…Levi?" His attention went back to the girl in front of him. It seems that she had been talking for a while now, but he heard not a word of it.

He didn't say anything and instead shoved both his hands in his pockets and just looked straight at her. The girl blushed and averted her eyes but still continued on talking. "I was saying that I am sorry my letter was rude and sounded like I am challenging you but that is the only way I know to get your attention. You haven't shown up in the other girls' letters so I thought…" she trailed.

He still didn't say anything and just continued to look at her. The girl started to fidget at his incessant gaze. "When you didn't show earlier I thought that you wouldn't come. But then, when I was just about to leave the campus, I saw you heading towards this direction so I hurried back. I'm glad I stayed a little longer," she said with a shy smile. Levi, on the other hand, remained silent. His patience is wearing thin already. He is not used listening and dealing with this kind of situation. The girl must have had sense his impatience for she hurried on, "Well, I just really want to tell you that I…" she paused as she looked at him, "I like you!"

For a moment there was only silence. At the girl's sudden declaration, Levi just wanted to leave without saying anything but he managed to say: "Thank you, but I'm not interested. Sorry." With that, the girl suddenly cried and ran down the stairs. He sighed and thought: _what was she expecting?_ At this point, it is almost dark, the sun already slipping beyond the horizon.

"Kid, you're not supposed to be here," the guard said, flashing his spotlight towards him.

"Ah, yeah..." he said as he walked towards the stairs. Unconsciously, his thoughts went back to the black haired woman he saw earlier and wondered why she was in the rooftop in the first place.

* * *

She silently followed the older man as he led her to her new classroom. After the result of the second quarter was posted yesterday, principal Zacklay had called her to his office and informed her that she will be part of the special section starting tomorrow. The special section, as the name implies, groups the highly skilled students of the school together. She was pulled out of her musing when she noticed that the old man – her teacher actually – had already stopped before a door. When she reached his side, he pushed it open and motioned her to get inside.

"Okay, everybody…this is Mikasa Ackerman, your new classmate. As you already know, she had ranked second in the last grading quarter…" As the teacher introduces her she let her eyes scan the room, her gaze taking in the details. There are at least ten students in the room, including her. Each has their own desk and chair, arranged in two rows.

There are two doors leading to the corridors – one near the teacher's desk in the front and another one at the back. The white walls are almost bare except for the lone bulletin board at the back and a set of windows in the right wall. They are roomed at the second floor so from the window, they can see the central courtyard. As she continued to scan the room, her gaze unwittingly slid to the far corner of the room and she was surprised to see a pair of eyes staring intently at her. She let her eyes linger for a second before her gaze slid away, completing her scan of the room. _He was the one from yesterday, _she thought to herself.

"Okay, Mikasa you can take the seat beside Mike over there…" the teacher said, pointing towards a blond haired man. As she took her seat, she was surprised when the man beside her leaned in closer, sniffed her – and smirked.

"Ahaha.." someone laughed on her right side. "Don't mind him, Mikasa." She turned around and saw a woman wearing a pair of glasses. Her face is so near to hers that they almost bumped noses. She reflexively leaned back and stretched her hands in front of her, ready to push the other woman away. The other woman, instead, captured her hands and imprisoned them in her own. She leaned in closer making Mikasa leaned back further. She can already feel the strain on her back. "Would you like to join the Research Society of our school?" She solemnly asked while still holding both Mikasa's hands.

"I heard that you have not enlisted in any clubs since you transferred," another one contributed to their conversation – if you can call it that. Mikasa and the glasses-wearing woman both looked up to see a blond haired woman with hazel eyes behind them. "I am Petra Ral, by the way. And the one before you is Hanji Zoe," Petra continued with a kind smile.

"Don't baby the new comer Petra. Why don't you return to your seat and baby me instead," someone interrupted. There was only silence before all hell broke loose. Mikasa was surprised to see the calm looking woman suddenly lunged at the owner of the voice. She shouted and started a long tirade towards the man who spoke just a little while back. Petra is already pulling the cloth around the man's neck while the brown haired man is already flushed – maybe from the lack of oxygen. The chairs at the back were already in disarray. The others in the front had already left their seat to cheer Petra on while Hanji is still holding her hands. "So, would you join our club?" she asked with a hopeful look on her face.

"Ahm, I'll think about it first," she finally managed to blurt out. She took a glance towards their teacher who, through all that what's happening, is just standing there with his face in his palm.

"Great!" Hanji suddenly blurted at the same time releasing her hands. She almost slumped in her chair, as she watched the other woman walked towards the mini crowd at the back.

_So this is the Special Section, _she thought to herself, worry starting to bloom in her heart._ I wonder how is Eren doing…_


	3. Chapter 3

He watched as Hanji let go of Mikasa's hand and left the other girl to join the others. From where he is sitting he can see Mikasa's profile and the sudden pensive look in her eyes. He wondered what had caused that look to appear in her face. Levi was actually surprised when he saw her entered the room earlier. At first he thought that maybe it was a different person, but her face is something that one would not easily forget. That red scarf around her neck is unmistakable.

"You're staring, Levi," he heard the man beside him say.

"Hm?" Levi only mumbled as he finally retracted his gaze. When he looked at the man beside him, he saw that he is staring intently at him, a hint of smile at the corner of his lips.

"What?" Levi asked.

"Nothing," the other man answered. "I'm just surprised to see you so interested in something – or _someone._" If there is someone who could read through his cool demeanor, it would be Irvin.

He only hmmmed again and tilted his head to stare outside. He remembered her holding his gaze for a moment before it glided away. He was actually a bit disappointed to see her face remain impassive, not a hint of recognition on her expression.

_Maybe she didn't really recognize me, _he thought as he continued to stare outside.

"By the way Levi, what were you doing in the rooftop yesterday?"

Levi's head snapped towards the man beside him. _If he knew that I was in the rooftop yesterday, then he also knew that – _

"Hanji told me." The blond said as if sensing Levi's discomfort.

"What is she, a stalker or something?" he retorted.

The other man raised one thick eyebrow as if to question his sudden irritation. "She was held back by some club matters so she stayed late. She saw you coming from the direction of the rooftop…" Irvin said in explanation.

"Hm," _so she didn't know that Mikasa was there. _"Nothing. Just getting some fresh air."

Irvin raised another brow at Levi's answer but didn't pry anymore. For that, Levi was grateful. For some reason, he didn't want the others to know what happened in the rooftop. For some reason, he wanted it to remain a secret.

At that point, the teacher was already speaking in front, having finally managed to break the commotion caused by Auruo and Petra. He stared outside the window, the rain already starting to fall.

* * *

Mikasa looked up at the dark grey sky and sighed. _It's still raining. _

"It won't stop even if you glare at it, you know," she heard a bored voice commented from behind. She looked over her shoulder to see dark eyes staring directly at her. _It's him again, _she thought. She didn't answer and instead return her gaze in the gloomy sky. It rained continuously throughout the day but at this moment it seems to have finally decided to release all the rain there is.

"Didn't you bring an umbrella?"

She debated herself if she would answer the question or not. After all, it is not her nature to talk to people she didn't know. But after a while she finally answered, "Someone stole it."

A gust of air suddenly blew and she raised her arms to hug herself. She barely managed to stop a shiver. Mikasa heard a 'tch' and felt the man – his name Levi as she had heard Hanji call him earlier – walk away. She is drench from her earlier attempt to move from another building. The rain had somehow thinned, only to suddenly pour in all its might when she was already in between buildings. For all the good facilities of the school, they hadn't thought to build covered pathways to connect each building. She sighed again recalling how she had gotten into this predicament.

* * *

As soon as the teacher dismissed the class, Hanji had already linked her arm to hers and before she realized it, she was already being dragged towards the direction of the cafeteria. There, she was forced to sit in the group of Hanji, Petra and Auruo. She had remained silent throughout lunch, letting Hanji talked about anything and everything. Petra did the same, smiling occasionally at her and to whatever Hanji is saying. Auruo, on the other hand, left as soon as he finished his meal without saying anything. And somehow during that time, Hanji had managed to convince her to attend the orientation of the Research Society later that afternoon.

The orientation was a simple one, just an introduction of the history and goal of the Research Society. The officers were also introduced one by one and a little question and answer portion was opened at the end. Mikasa is not someone who easily joins a group unless she knows everything about it, so she asked Hanji about the current projects and accomplishments of the organizations. That was her mistake. As soon as she finished the question, all the officers and members fell silent, a horrified expression in their faces. Hanji soon after launched in a long monologue about the projects they had been currently doing and those that they had already completed. She also talked about the research projects she plans to do in the future and why it is important to do so.

One by one, the students left the room until there were only the two of them. Hanji only stopped when one of her officers returned to remind her of the meeting with the student council. And then she was left alone in the room. It is only when she finally decided to go home that she found out that her umbrella is not where she had left it.

* * *

Mikasa sighed again cursing the person who chose to steal her umbrella.

_It would be dark soon._

Even if she managed to reach the school gate, how would she go home? And with that in thought, she felt something poke her side. She jerked and whirled around in surprise to see Levi holding a folded umbrella in one hand, a jacket in another. He extended it to her and said, "Use this then. The rain won't let up anytime soon." Her brows furrowed and she only looked at what he's holding. For a moment they only stood there until he reached for hands and placed the items in them. "You can return them in class," and with that she was alone again. She looked at the jacket and umbrella and wondered what to do.

* * *

"Oi, Mikasa you're late-" Eren begun and stopped when he noticed her wet hair and clothes. "Whose jacket is that?" he asked referring to the jacket Mikasa is wearing. "Wait, is that a new umbrella?"

"Someone lent it to me," was her only answer as she walked past Eren who is still standing beside the door. "What happened to yours?" Eren asked again.

"Someone stole it."

Eren finally close the door and watched Mikasa shrug the jacket off her shoulder. He saw her grimaced.

"I'll just take a shower then I'll prepare dinner," Mikasa said.

"Ah, don't worry about it. I already ordered something…"

"Okay, then…" she said and went to her room.

_That jacket is oddly familiar… where have I seen it before? _He thought to himself but was interrupted by the arrival of the food he ordered.

* * *

_**I tried. I really tried. **_**(TT_TT)**


	4. Chapter 4

Levi leaned against the wall as he watched students walk passed him. The meeting called by the student council had just been concluded and he had been waiting outside the student council's room for Irvin and Hanji. He's idly spinning a basketball in his thumb when he saw the two emerge from the room. The last of the council members have just passed him.

"Oooh! It's still raining!" Hanji exclaimed as soon as she set her foot outside the council room. She is followed by Irvin who is looking a bit pissed. "Levi, you keep a spare umbrella in your locker, don't you?" asked Hanji.

He only looked at her.

"Let me borrow it. I didn't bring one."

"I can't. Forgot mine," he answered in his usual bored tone.

"What!?" the woman exclaimed. "Can you repeat that? Did you just say that _you_ forgotyours?" she said as she peered at the black sky. "Tsk, tsk. That's not like you."

_Annoying freak, _he thought,_ but it is obvious that she is also a bit piqued._

Levi only grunted as he turned to Irvin. "What does the council wanted this time, Irvin?" he asked instead.

The other man let out a long sigh and rubbed his temple. "They want all clubs _and_ all sections of each level to have an income generating activity for the upcoming foundation week. They've set an amount that would go to the council."

Levi snorted. "Those capitalist pigs. The way they push us to make money, you would think that this school is going bankrupt," he said, which is quite the opposite. Freedom International School is one of the most prestigious private institutions in Sina and probably _is_ within the whole of the Walls. It is private and it lives – thrives – on investments. And it has _lots _of investors. Most of these investors are also the parents of all the spoiled brats that's crawling the school grounds.

"What's your plan, Irvin? You're the class president and the basketball team captain." This means that he also has two organizations to think about. The same goes with Hanji. She is the president of the Research Society and she is the vice president of their class. All organizations including those officially representing the school in interschool competitions are all under the category 'clubs.' And all clubs answer to the student council. "Our next game is Saturday next week. We need to resume practice if we want to win," Levi continued, his eyes never leaving the other man's face. It is the middle of the season and they had withheld practice because of the quarter exams.

Irvin blew another breath. "Coming up with an idea for an income generating project is not a problem. The problem is that our section has the least number of students and all of us in the Special Section would be busy this month. The council had specifically stated in the meeting that all clubs and sections must have a representative for all the activities in the foundation week," the other man continued. "The Special Sections would also be working alongside the council for the preparations. It would hard to accomplish all of this with only ten students in our class. We would be spreading ourselves too thin."

Being part of the Special Section has its perks but it also comes with a price. Each year level has its own Special Section. Because the Special Sections are consist of the top ten students of each level, it is only natural that students being sent for interschool activities are extracted from them. In fact, that is the main purpose of the creation of the Special Section – to make sure that the institution maintains its flawless reputation as a leading school by winning through such competitions. And the third quarter is usually the busiest.

"And we all know that all work for the preparation would be left on us again. And they added that stupid income generation," blurted Hanji who looks as if she's ready to throw something. For all her eccentricities, she knows when to stand up when something is wrong.

"So they are picking on the Special Section again," Levi muttered.

And that is the problem. There had been an ongoing tension between the Special Sections and the student council. Another purpose of the Special Section is to serve as an aide for the student council _to perform its function _which is comprise of implementing regulations, maintaining order, managing students affairs, etc. But like what Hanji said, most of the works are being dump on the Special Section especially on these kinds of events. They do all the work until it is almost done only to be taken over by the student council. And the teachers and school management does nothing to interfere because the student council has full autonomy. For all its shiny appearance, the school is rotting inside.

The tension between the council and the Special Sections comes from the fact that the Special Sections also enjoy certain autonomy and they can to question the decision of the council. And because they are the top students, the school is inclined to listen when they raise concern.

There was a moment of silence between the three, only the sound of sputtering rain around them. Then suddenly Irvin smirked. "Let's go. It's already late," he said starting to walk away.

"What? You already thought of something?" Hanji asked as they followed Irvin.

"The council said that all clubs and sections must have an IGP and representatives in every activity, but they didn't set a rule prohibiting each from working with one another," the blond said.

"A collaboration, huh." Levi said.

"Arlert is part of the basketball team right? And that second year president is part of the Research Society. I think we will not have a problem with that."

XXX

_Four days of rain, _Mikasa thought as she stared at the umbrella in her hand. _And I'm still using his umbrella. _

This is the fourth day his umbrella is in her possession. She tried to return it along with the jacket the morning after he lent it to her only to find herself walking home with the same umbrella protecting her from the rain. When she arrived that morning she found him alone in the room, his usual bored expression in place. After dropping her bag in her own desk and she approached him with the intent of returning his things. She placed the neatly folded umbrella and jacket on top of his desk and then returned to her seat. No words had been exchanged.

Later that day however, it suddenly rained again and she hadn't had the time to buy a replacement for her lost umbrella. Why Levi had to see her running back to their building while it was raining, she doesn't know why. When the last class was dismissed, she watched her classmates leave one by one while she contemplates how she will go home. She left her seat and went to the washroom. When she returned, she noticed something in her desk. When she realized that it was _his_ umbrella – again – she went after him. He was already halfway the stairs when she caught up with him.

"Wait!" she called after him.

He stopped and turned to face her.

"What's this?" Mikasa asked holding up the umbrella. The last class was dismissed only a few minutes ago but the hallway was already deserted.

"An umbrella?"

_The imp…!_

"I can see that for myself," she gritted out in irritation. "What I'm asking is why you left this on my table."

.

.

.

"Because you obviously need it…"

Her brows furrowed and she heard him sigh.

"Look, if you're worried about me,"

_If I'm what?!_

"don't. I have a spare." With that he turned his back and left without another word. In her irritation, she wasn't able to say anything. She only watched as he descended the stairs. Contrary to what he said, she hadn't thought about his well-being. It's just that she wasn't use being indebted to other people. Except…

"Mi-ka-saaa!" she snapped out of her thoughts and found Hanji running towards her direction – full speed.

"Are you heading for the gym now?" Hanji asked when she finally reached her side.

"Ah, yeah."

"Would you mind if I go with you? I forgot my umbrella."

"No, its okay," she answered as she opened the umbrella. Together they stepped into the rain and headed for the gym. PE was usually conducted in the outdoor field but because of the rain, their PE teacher arranged their class, together with the other regular sections, to have their PE inside the gym. Hanji is in her usual chatter mode and Mikasa only _hmmed_ and _ahhhed_, half hearing the other woman's stories.

Her mind had wandered back to the previous days when she tried to return Levi his stupid umbrella. Somehow he managed to evade her attempts, avoiding her when she tried to approach him. When she cornered him the other day, he refused to accept the said umbrella saying that he will only accept it if she already has one of her own. What irked her is that despite his nonchalant appearance he seemed to be amused by her attempts to return the stupid umbrella.

_Dammit. I'm not an entertainment something, _she thought irritably.

And to add to her irritation, she hadn't had the time to buy new one. She sighed and closed her eyes in an attempt to bring her mind back to the present. They are already nearing their destination when she noticed that Hanji had already fallen silent. And that is unusual for the other woman. She turned her head towards Hanji and found her looking up, her brows furrowed and she appeared to be in deep thought.

"Is something wrong, Hanji?"

The other woman blinked and she looked surprised by the sound of her voice.

"Oh, nothing… no… nothing…" she abruptly answered. "Let's head to the changing room?" and with that she took off and run the remaining distance to the gym. Mikasa increased her pace and she stepped inside in time to see Levi up in the air, shooting a three point shot.

XXX

_**Please tell me this is not too clichéd. :D **_


	5. Chapter 5

Levi softly landed on his feet and watched as the ball smoothly passed through the ring.

"Okay, that's enough practice for now," Irvin called from the sidelines at the same time clapping his hands to get the team's attention. "Let's clear the court. The other students are here." The members of the team slowly cleared the floor and they gathered around Irvin. "Mr. Shadis had requested for the use of the facility since it's raining outside. The class would only last for one and half hours. Use this to rest, take break, do your things but don't leave yet because we will continue practice after this. Everybody got that?" When nobody answered, he continued, "Okay, you may go."

The team dispersed and Levi walked up to Irvin. "Why did you agreed to this?" he asked, wiping sweat from his face. "They know that this one is being used by the team."

"They are renovating the other gym. And, it would be bad politics if we refuse."

"Huh, as far as I'm concern they are only dirtying the place," Levi said glaring at the wet tracks of shoes in the floor.

XXX

"He's going to melt if you don't stop staring at him like that." Mikasa looked up to see the smiling face of Petra.

"Hm?" she was sitting in the floor along with the other students waiting for their turn. For the third quarter they are playing volleyball, and after a short lecture and introduction about the game Mr. Shadis had divided the class in groups.

"You've been looking at him for a while now."

She had long lost interest in the game after seeing the performance of the other students. The past hour had been wasted with the other students trying to make the ball pass over the net. And so far, only a few managed to do so. And when it does, those at the other side were avoiding it. _The game is called volleyball because the ball is supposed to volley back and forth. _All the while, their teacher had been shouting on the sides because they hadn't managed a successful rally.

"I'm just surprised to know that he is part of the basketball team," she said casually. Which was the truth. Who would have thought that someone with his height is part of the basketball team?

The other woman chuckled and sat beside her. "You mean because of his height?" she asked, reflecting her thoughts.

"mhmmh…" she only mumbled.

"Well, Levi is not only a member; he is considered the ace of the team. And I think his height only added to his appeal, considering how a lot of those girls are hanging around him," Petra said. And that was one thing she also noticed. Every time her eyes wandered to where he is, there were always one or two or _three _girls talking to him.

"They have a game next Saturday. We can watch if you want."

Mikasa wasn't able to answer because, "Next set! Server: Ackerman!" came the booming voice of Mr. Shadis.

"Good luck," she heard the other woman said as she took her position in the service area.

XXX

_This is annoying._ _Why don't they just leave me alone? _He thought as he saw another group of girls nearing him. He had been moving around the whole hour because someone was always trying to talk to him. He didn't know what's more irritating. The girls who were trying to talk to him or the girls in the court who had been doing nothing but scream and shriek every time the ball successfully managed to pass over the net _or _the wet tracks in the floor. He grimaced in disgust. Definitely the dirty floor.

"Oi, brat," he called one of their new members. "Get a mop and start cleaning this mess," he said waving towards the floor. The kid only nodded and immediately left to follow his orders.

"Just another half hour," he muttered under his breath.

"Levi…!" he heard someone called in alarm before something whizzed past him, narrowly missing his head.

XXX

**:P**


	6. Chapter 6

The chattering noise in the gym was hushed silent and the only sound audible was the gasping of those near him. There was a loud smacking sound as the ball bounced off the wall before landing near his feet. He turned around and was not surprised to see who the server was. She wore that same cool expression and he scowled when their eyes met.

"Nice hit, Ackerman!" shouted Mr. Shadis. "But in case you haven't noticed, there are lines on the floor. The objective of this game is to land the ball in the opponent's court not to hit bystanders. Do it again," he said throwing another ball at her.

"Yes, sir," she quietly answered as she caught the ball and went back to position. She focused her gaze in front before she tossed the ball in the air.

_The minx. She tried to hit me on purpose, _he thought as he watched her effortlessly serve again.There was a loud thud as the ball came in contact with the floor. Most of the players in the other court moved out of their position in fear of being hit. By her stance and by the ease she hit the ball, it is clear that she is no beginner in this game. And it was no accident that that ball was headed in his direction. But despite that, he can't help but be amused. He could swear he saw her lips slightly curled upward before she turned to Mr. Shadis. "Brat,"he muttered as he let himself smirk.

"Way to go, Mikasa!" he heard someone cheered near him. She saw her nod slightly in acknowledgment and he unconsciously turned his head to look at the owner of the voice. It was one of their new members, Jean Kirschtein, first year. His eyes narrowed as he sized up the other man. Tall but not too tall, a good player but often gets into fights with his fellow teammates because of his abrasive and cocky attitude. But what he really interested in is how the two knew each other. From what he observed, Mikasa hardly talk to anyone save for Hanji and Petra. She talks to Hanji because well, no one can really escape Hanji. She talks to Petra because Petra is just nice to everyone.

Maybe except to Aurou.

"Damn, I wish they use the gym more often," he heard the freshman commented and Levi almost rolled his eyes. The class of Mr. Shadis is composed of the female third year students and the rest of the basketball team is busy ogling at them. He'll give them a hell of punishment if he himself is not guilty of doing the same. And there is only one person that caught his attention. The said person is serving another ball and he let his gaze settle on her form as she hit the ball mid-air. Her hair is pulled back in a ponytail, which is different from her usual style. The red scarf that always covers her neck is absent exposing the pale skin of her neck. The trim of the jersey she is wearing accentuates her figure and the shorts showcase her long legs. His eyes narrowed as he noticed that she's not wearing kneepads_._ As if on cue, Mikasa moved in an attempt to receive a ball, which the others promptly avoided, and landed on her knees. She skidded for a few seconds but she somehow managed to send the ball over the net.

xxx

Mikasa winced as she checks her knee. It is a good thing that they're not outside because if they are her knees would be abraded. As it is, it is only red and aching from the impact on the floor. She was a second late from receiving the ball because she wasn't expecting someone from the other court to receive it and send it back to their court. She went after the ball almost on instinct.

"Just put ice on it and you'll be fine." She looked up to see a freckled woman looking down at her. She is also part of the Special Section, the one sitting beside Petra. And aside from her first day in the Special Section, this is the only time that she saw her. "Nice play by the way. I'm Ymir," she continued as she extended her hand.

"You're not bad yourself," Mikasa answered as she accepted the other woman's hand. She was the one who sent the ball she went after.

Ymir snorted and she said, "I'm just glad that someone else knew how to play in the set I'm in. I thought the whole period would be wasted," as she started to walk off. "See you in class," and with that she's gone.

She changed into her uniform and slipped out of the changing room. Her attention was caught by the sight of giggling girls and she only sighed when she saw the reason. The basketball team had resumed their practice and the one who holds the ball is none other than the so called ace of the team. There was a loud cheering as Levi moved through the court, bypassing three guards on the way, and successfully shooting a jump shot.

She only realized that she had been following his movements when their eyes collided. He had been idly dribbling and she can swear that she saw a smirk before he did another jump shot._ Showoff, _she thought but she can feel a blush creeping at her neck. She tugged at her scarf and buried her face up to her nose in an attempt to hide the blush that she knew is burning her cheeks. It's no big deal really but somehow she felt so embarrassed to be caught staring. She ducked her head as she hurriedly walked towards the exit.

xxx

"I can smell pheromones from here," Mike snickered from the sideline.

Everyone on the floor including those watching suddenly turned their heads towards the owner of the voice in confusion. All attention was directed towards the man and so they missed the darkening of Levi's face as he glowered at his direction. Beside Mike was Irvin who suddenly seemed to have developed a coughing fit. His fist is placed in his mouth in an attempt to hide his laughter. And they became more confused as Levi stormed off the court as a ball suddenly flew in the direction of the two men in the sideline.

XXX

**(^^,)**


	7. Chapter 7

_Idiots,_ he thought as he splashed cold water in his face. He had walked out from their practice after Mike made that comment about pheromones. He stared at his reflection and wondered if he had been that obvious. _Obvious about what? _Not that he had done that second jump shot to impress anybody. And not certainly to show off before a certain someone who has black hair and red scarf. No. He just saw an opening in his opponent's defense and he moved in because that's what he would have had done if it was a real game. And that is why they are having this practice game. To prepare for their upcoming game. Just _practice. _So why was he so flustered when Mike made that comment? He was not even sure if that comment was directed at him. But knowing the idiot it probably was.

His gaze slid sideways when the door suddenly opened revealing the form of Jean Kirschtein. From the mirror, he watched the other man hurriedly stand before one of the urinals. He debated himself if he would ask the man about the question that had been bugging him but after a moment of contemplation he decided against it. The man must have sensed the eyes staring at him because his head suddenly turned. In the mirror, half lidded eyes met the surprised eyes of the freshman. Levi held the other man's gaze and he nearly burst out laughing when the idiot's face suddenly turned into a dark shade of red at the same time averting his eyes. He sensed that the man suddenly hurried to do his things in a hurry to leave but before he could reach the door Levi called his attention.

"Oi!" The freshman turned to face him with a wary look at his still red face.

_Idiot, _he thought, smirking inwardly.He took several steps until he is standing just a few steps before the man. He reached for the man's ear and pulled him until their faces are leveled with one another. He leaned in forward and he can feel his lips twitch at the expression on the man's face but somehow he was able to maintain a bored expression on his face before saying:

"Don't you dare return there without washing your hands." With that Levi released him and strode out of the door. The poor freshman stumbled backwards and he distinctly heard the word "disgusting" as he watched the leaving figure of his senior.

XXX

_**The Research Society Quarterly Survey:**_

_**If all the Disney princesses are real, who among the Special Sections* would they be?**_

_The Research Society would be leaving a drop box outside our office where you can cast your votes. The result of the survey would be revealed on the opening day of the weeklong celebration of the 68__th__ Founding Anniversary of the Freedom International School.**_

_*The names of the members of the Special Sections are posted in the freedom wall._

_** The Research Society will have a photo booth where you can pose with your favorite Disney princess._

_**Announcement from the Special Sections:**_

_In line with the celebration of the 68__th__ Founding Anniversary of the Freedom International School, the Special Section (all year levels) will have a buddy bidding contest where you can have a chance to spend the entire week long celebration with your favorite Special Section Student.*_

_*Check the freedom wall for further information._

"If our goal is just to reach the amount set by the council, I think these activities would be okay. But I just have a question about the photo booth-" Armin said after reading the sample posters made by Hanji. He passed the laptop back to the president of the Research Society as his eyes roamed around the room. There are only five of them: him, Irvin, Hanji, Levi who is sitting idly in a corner and the president of the Second Year Special Section. After the meeting called by the Student Council on Tuesday, Irvin had approached him the following day asking him if he would like to work with the other special sections for a joint project. It was a burden lifted off his shoulder because honestly, manning a project with only ten students during a weeklong event is exhausting, not only physically but also for their resources.

"What about it?" asked Hanji.

"I'm just wondering who would be posing as the Disney princesses?"

"Oh that." The president of the Research Society answered. She pushed her glasses up her nose before resuming, "Well, we have a survey right? The result of the survey will determine who those people will be. Let's say, the five highest votes…? You would be surprised at the results we get from these kinds of surveys," she finished with a maniacal glow in her eyes.

"Ah, I see," _But why do I have a bad feeling about this? _"And the buddy bidding-" Armin asked and they all turned their heads towards the corner where Levi is sitting. They all knew that Levi is popular in their school.

"What?" the man practically growled. "You're not going to pimp me out," he said as he returned his gaze back to his phone. Armin quickly retracted his gaze. The man really is intimidating.

"What if the others refused as well?" asked the Second Year president to which Irvin answered: "That is why we need to gather all the members of the Special Section and present the project before them. We need to ensure the cooperation of everyone in this project and we need to do it fast. We have a deadline to beat."

xxx

Monday.

Morning.

His eyes twitched at the pile of letters in his locker. No, a pile of letter is an understatement. This should really stop.

_Looks like Hanji will have more letters to read_, he thought as he let some of the papers fall to the floor.

"That's a lot of letters you got there," he heard an unexpected voice say behind him. _How long had she been standing behind me? _he thought as he turned to face the owner of the voice. Cool gaze met his bored ones as they stare at each other.

It was her who broke the silence.

"I just want to return this," she said. He didn't even bother to look at what she's holding. He knew what it was already. He felt her reach for his wrist and he let her place the umbrella in his right hand. After that she turned and started to walk away.

"Are you not going to class? The teacher's in our room already," she asked glancing over her shoulder.

He blinked in surprise recalling how he she had thrown that same question to Hanji a week ago. He can only shake his head as he followed behind her.

XXX

_**I'm sleepy but it's still too early to sleep.**_

_**There's a storm raging outside. **_

_**I should have just written this in my native language.**_

_**I'm not happy with this.**_

_***sigh***_


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Mikasa breathe out a sigh of relief as she walked through the short corridor leading to their classroom. The morning had been a promising one. There was no sign of rain, she had already bought her own umbrella during the weekend (which she had checked and double checked to make sure she had it in her bag before stepping out of the house) and she had returned Levi's umbrella – finally. Today is a good day.

Or so she thought.

She had barely settled in her seat when the door from which she entered opened again to reveal the form of Mike. She spared the man a quick glance before returning her gaze to their teacher who had began to write in the board. Then her vision was suddenly filled with white. She blinked once before she realized that she is staring at the buttons of someone's uniform. Her gaze slowly traveled upward and she found herself staring in the face of Mike. Her brows started to crease as she wondered why the man is blocking her view of the board.

Then Mike pulled his hand behind his back to reveal a red rose in full bloom, which he sniffed before tucking behind her right ear. Mikasa jerked back in surprise. She can hear the chuckling of Erd and Gunther, the loud and cooing _'awwwwwww' _of Hanji, the clucking of Auruo's tongue, the soft giggle of Petra and the snorting of Ymir. Amidst all that noise the comment, "Marking territory now, eh, Mike?" of their teacher can be heard. She reflexively raised her hand and pulled the flower from her hair.

_What the…? _was all that Mikasa thought as she stared at the red flower in her hand. She threw a puzzled look at the man sitting next to her who looked as if what he just did was something of normalcy.

xxx

"What is it, Hanji?" Levi finally asked without looking at the woman who had been staring at him with severe intensity. He was sitting in the window ledge while Hanji had pulled her chair backwards, straddling the seat. The teacher is absent again and so they are enjoying another unscheduled break. The others are out somewhere and he had decided to remain in the room. Levi thought that he would be enjoying some quiet time _alone _but the wearing glasses freak had, for some unknown reason, decided to stay in the room with him. He expected to be drowned in one of her monologues but she just pulled a chair and sat quietly near him.

Which was not normal.

Being abnormal is Hanji's normal self so her silence is a grave deviation from her normal abnormal behavior. Sure, a loud and blabbering Hanji is annoying but a serious and quiet Hanji is just creepy. And scary _because you don't know what's running in that twisted mind of hers. _

_._

_._

_._

"You like her," She said after a moment of silence.

"Huh?" was all that came out of his mouth, not really understanding the woman's statement.

"Mikasa."

His head whipped at the mention of the name. This time, he got a good look at Hanji's face. Her eyes were wide with curiosity. He knew that look. That's a look of a child who is willing to destroy, throw, smash, break and rip open his toy just to see what would happen. And a child's curiosity is the scariest.

"What about her?" he asked cautiously.

"You like her," she repeated.

His eyes narrowed faintly. "What do you mean?"

"You let her use your umbrella." A statement, not a question. _How on earth did she know that?_

"What do you mean?" he asked again.

"You've been using the blue one, i.e., the spare."

"So?"

She puffed her cheeks before answering, "I saw her using your umbrella. We headed to the gym together last Friday."

_Of all people…_

"How sure are you it was mine she's using? Black umbrella is very common, if you haven't noticed," he said wryly, hoping to dismiss the subject. She puffed her cheeks once more, her lips pursing in the process. She looked like a petulant child about to throw a tantrum. "Because I wrote 'clean freak' and 'Levi' in the inside of your umbrella!"

.

.

.

.

.

"You what?!" Levi almost shouted in her face. He almost fell from the window ledge he's sitting at Hanji's revelation. "Did you just say that you vandalized my umbrella?" he was practically growling now and Hanji had the mind to back away.

"He he… I was wondering how long it would take for you to find out." She said with a sheepish grin in her face. "And don't worry, I used a black marker. It's really not noticeable unless you knew it's there."

He ran his fingers through his hair and closed his eyes to prevent himself from strangling the woman in front of him. He wondered if it's worth spending his entire life behind bars._ No, maybe they would even give me reward because I would be doing humanity a favor by ridding the world of someone like her. _He sharply exhaled his breath before speaking again. "That doesn't mean that I like her."

"AHA!" she exclaimed with a triumphant glint in her eyes. "So you really did lend it to her. She did not steal it nor did you lose it for her to find it lying somewhere."

He let out a frustrated breath.

_I should have known that she's just fishing…_

"So what? I've let you use my umbrella before."

"You let me use your _spare _umbrella. Never _your _umbrella. There's a difference," she countered with a smug look in her face.

"That doesn't mean anything," he gritted out in annoyance to her claims.

"ho-ho." She is already starting to edge near the exit. "Don't worry, Levi. Your secret is safe with me," she said with a sly grin on her face. She darted out the door before he could even move a muscle.

_Damn._

_Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn._

xxx

_They are all acting weird, _Mikasa thought as she stared at the white and fluffy stuffed animal sitting on her desk. She carefully approached and gingerly lifted the animal by its ear and placed it on Hanji's table. She roamed her eyes around the room as she pondered who the culprit this time was. Earlier that morning, it was Mike. Her face darkened just recalling the memory.

Her eyes first landed on Auruo who is still nursing his swollen tongue. However he managed to bit his tongue that forcefully she had no idea.

_No, not him. _

Sure, the man had been extra annoying today with his snide and unsolicited comments but he would not do this kind of thing. Beside Auruo is a sniffing Mike. The man had been sneezing and sniffing ever since he returned before the beginning of the third period. _Maybe he is allergic to dust or something, _she thought as she continued her perusal. After what he did earlier that morning, Mike had stayed away from her the whole day so it's impossible that he is behind this one. Mike let out another sneeze, tears already starting to form in his eyes.

Then there's Irvin and Levi but she immediately dismissed the two. It couldn't be one of them.

In the front row were Erd and Gunther who had been sulking in their seats ever since lunch break. Ymir is missing again. Hanji and Petra are still in the ResearchSoc office where she left them.

_Hmmmm…this day is really weird._ And it was not only because of the "rose incident" with Mike. Everyone is really acting weird. It felt like there was always someone near her the whole day. Even Erd and Gunther seemed to have suddenly become interested in her, complimenting her and talking to her about anything and nothing in particular. Which was really annoying. Even Hanji is exceeding her usual hyper-ism.

After a moment of pondering and speculating she finally gave up and just plopped down in her seat. She didn't realize that she is reaching for the soft animal in the next table.

xxx

"Secret my ass," he muttered to himself as he stared blankly at nothing in particular. He is leaning in the railing, his head propped on one arm. He closed his eyes as he recalled the day's events. After Mikasa returned his umbrella, he entered the room using the door near the back (which was logical because it was nearer his own desk). As he approached his seat, he did not miss the amused look on Irvin's face, probably because he and Mikasa entered the room simultaneously (though using different doors.) He just rolled his eyes and settled on his seat but before he could even do that the door in front suddenly opened and in came Mike.

The moment Mike stood in front of Mikasa, he already knew that the idiot was up to something. And then it happened. Mike pulled out a rose behind him and tucked it on Mikasa's ear at the same time throwing a smirk in his direction. Levi only scowled at his antics. It's a shame that Levi "accidentally" sprayed Hanji's strongest perfume (which she really doesn't use and only carry around to coerce Mike into doing something) all over Mike. He almost smiled recalling how the other man's eyes widened when he realized what Levi was up to. Too bad he was not fast enough to get away from him.

Then his "conversation" with Hanji. And that bit made him scowl. After the crazy woman darted out of the room, he broke out in a sprint to prevent her from blabbering to the others. But maybe being crazy makes someone possess some magical ability because Hanji was nowhere to be found. That's when he came across Mike.

"Tch."

Then Auruo, Erd and Gunther added to the mix of trouble. _Of course Hanji wouldn't be able to keep her mouth shut._ It's a miracle she had not yet broadcasted her "findings" to the whole campus. So he pulled them aside during lunch break. And started a long monologue about how he had come across a stash of pornographic material (which was strictly prohibited) in one of the lockers and how he wondered if he should report it or not. Of course the guilty party paled. Then he also wondered aloud how Petra would react if she found out that a certain someone is crushing on her (as if it's not yet obvious). That certain someone suddenly gushed in a torrent of explanation, biting down forcefully on his tongue in the process.

And there's that animal stuffed toy. Well, he hadn't done anything about that yet.

A quiet "thank you" brought him back to the present and he only let out a "_hn_" as he let the presence passed by him, his lips slightly tugging upwards.

xxx

"What are you doing lurking in a corner, Hanji?"

She let out a small squeak and almost revealed her presence. She was surprised by the voice of Irvin. "Look, look Irvin," she said at the same time tugging at his hands. Irvin took a peek over her head and only raised an eyebrow. "What's so interesting with the sight of Levi brooding?" he asked. Then they saw Mikasa passed by Levi. None of the two acknowledged the presence of one another.

"That's disappointing," Hanji pouted. "By the way Irvin, was that stuffed animal from you?"

"What stuffed animal? No, why?"

"Someone left a stuffed animal in Mikasa's desk. It wasn't any of the others."

A ghost of a smile appeared in Irvin's lips as he peeked again in the direction of Levi. He instead gripped Hanji's hand as he tugged her away. "Actions speak louder than words, Hanji."

"Huh? Where did that came from?" she asked, still being dragged by Irvin. Then after a while she said, "Yes, many people say that but I think actions without words are confusing, don't you think?"

"Not if they are in tune with one another," he vaguely said. "We need to hurry. The others are waiting."

They hadn't realized that they are still holding each other's hand as they make their way to their destination. Or at least they pretend not to notice.

XXX


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9:

It's hot, it's noisy and it's crowded. All the students of the Special Sections are gathered in the room of the first years to discuss the upcoming school event. As it is, the room that is normally spacious for ten students is now crammed with all the people inside. The usually neatly arranged desks and chairs are haphazardly pushed to the sides to make room for the additional chairs that had been dragged from the other room. Ymir tugged at her collar to relieve herself from the heat but to no avail. Sweat is already beginning to form at her back and neck and it is not a good sensation. She let her eyes wander around the room and noticed that the large windows were already pulled open. All the fans are whirring overhead but the heat inside remained stifling. She tried to fan herself using one of her notebooks but soon got tired of it. Worse, it even made her more aware of the heat around her.

She almost regretted going back (she skipped classes again) but Irvin called her and told her not to miss the meeting. Seriously, the man exudes authority that makes it hard to refuse when he asks you to do something. The only reprieve she has is that she is sitting next to Historia Reiss, the first year "goddess." Historia is dubbed as such not only because of her angelic looks but also because she is known to be a kind of person. Too kind actually that it's already unnatural. It's not that Ymir expects the worst from those around her but there's a difference between simply being kind because it's your personality and being kind because you're trying to please everybody. It's almost as if she's trying to be martyr. _And martyrdom equals death. _

She had been observing Historia ever since the other girl asked if the seat beside her is occupied. And so far, the only thing she found out about the girl is that she is like a pacifist/peacekeeper in their class. Like what she is doing now. She watched as Historia tried to break the argument between two of her classmate, but her voice was drowned by their loud voices. And they really are loud. The bald one is holding something behind his back and the redhead is reaching for whatever it is. Historia looked at her with an apologetic look on her face and Ymir wondered if she ever gets mad. And the idea of seeing other sides of Historia made her look more closely at the other girl. _Oh well. _

xxx

Levi watched the students stirred from their seats. Some gathered in small groups to chat before leaving while some headed directly for the exit. The meeting was just recently concluded and he is not happy with the plan. He doesn't like the idea of standing before a crowd to be 'auctioned' to the highest bidder. And who knows what kind of person the highest bidder would be. For all he knew, that person can be a slob who doesn't take a bath and stinks. He grimaced at the idea. _Ugh. _

"Oh my, Levi, aren't you extra grumpy today?" Hanji chuckled as she walked towards where he is sitting. Behind her is Irvin with a guilty look on his face. Levi's scowled deepened.

"Tch."

"Oh come on, Levi. It's not that bad," Hanji continued. "All you have to do is stand there in front and it's up to us to sell you. Not that it would take a lot of effort to convince people to bid," she finished with a Cheshire cat grin on her face.

"That's outright prostitution. You just gave it another name," he retorted.

"Calling it prostitution is rather extreme, don't you think?" Hanji pouted.

"Yeah," agreed Auruo. "Playing gigolo is more applica-" he wasn't able to finish the sentence before Petra's elbow connected to his stomach. And good thing that Petra did, because Levi is already planning to choke the life out of him.

"You don't really have a choice, Levi," Irvin said. "Everyone would agree that you are popular in both the female and male population of the school. And it is no doubt that many would join the bidding. The greater the number of bidder, the higher the price will go," the blond finished.

"And besides, you're not the only who would be in the buddy bidding. Most of the men are part of it, including Irvin."

"Tsk." Most of them are actually excited about it. Some were already making bets on who would fetch the highest bid. "And why is there a need to spend the _whole _day with the highest bidder?" Levi said with the emphasis in the word 'whole.' His face darkened at the thought of spending a whole day with someone he doesn't even know.

"Because that's what escorts do?" Auruo interjected. Therefore, another jab in the stomach.

"We actually already shortened it. The original plan was for the highest bidder to have their buddy for the whole week," Irvin answered.

Another scowl from Levi. Not that he can do anything about it. The proposal was already approved by the council. The purpose of the meeting was only to inform the rest of the students of what had been decided by the three presidents and to distribute the tasks. The people around him continued chatting while he propped his chin on one arm. His attention drifted to a small group about to leave the room – one is a golden haired boy, the other is brown haired boy with green eyes whom he recognized as the one who always get into arguments with Kirschtein. He is followed by a black haired woman wrapping a red scarf around her neck.

xxx

The days passed and it is now Friday. The coming week would be the weeklong celebration of school's anniversary and as a result they haven't had class for almost the entire week. The Special Sections are mostly responsible for the preparations of the entire event which includes the paper works, the planning of the schedule of events, picking out the guest speakers, sending out letters (from invitations to solicitation letters), preparation of school grounds, etc., etc. In short, they were excused from their classes to attend to these things. Now that most of the preparations are done, they now lazed in their room with nothing to do. The rest are being taken care of by Irvin. Seriously, the man is not human. He could work alone and he would still be able to complete all the preparations within the given time.

Mikasa tugged at her scarf as she trudged her way back to their room and stopped when she noticed that Hanji is barring the door. From the grin on her face she knew that the woman is up to something. _What now?_

"Mikasa, are you busy?" she asked, still smiling.

Aside from her supposed classes, she really had nothing to do. "Not really. Why?"

Hanji's grin widened. "Perfect then!" she exclaimed at the same time reaching for her hands. "I really need your help. You see, we are not yet done tallying the result of the survey and there's no one available right now. I would do it myself but I need to accompany Petra in town to buy materials and everything." She continued on her explanation while Mikasa only looked at her with that stoic expression on her face. "Ooops, sorry I'm babbling am I not?" she said, suddenly stopping the torrent of words.

"Hmm."

"Help me?" Hanji asked with a puppy look in her face. "Please?"

"I have nothing else to do, so…" and before she can even finished her sentence, Hanji interrupted her.

"Great!" and after giving her quick instructions, Hanji dashed through the corridor leaving her standing alone. "I'll send someone to help you, okay, okay?" she shouted as she wave good bye. Mikasa can only sigh as she gathered her things and made her way to the office of the Research Society.

She had just started sorting through the pile of paper when she heard the voices outside the room.

"_Dammit, Hanji. I'm not even part of your organization!" _

"_Jeez, I'll return the favor someday. Just do this for me now, okay?"_ and with that Levi was unceremoniously pushed through the door.

"Damn shitty glasses," he muttered, still glaring at the door. He must have sense another presence because his head suddenly turned in her direction. Mikasa saw the darkening of his expression before he made a move and took a seat behind her. She took note that he made no move to help her. Well, it's okay with Mikasa. She's more comfortable working alone anyway. And that is how they were stuck together in the same room. Mikasa continued sorting through the papers while Levi only sat there in silence. Well, he did sat there in doing nothing until…

"Stop it."

"Stop what?"

"That!" she said as she vaguely swatted a hand behind her.

"I'm not doing anything."

Mikasa threw him a hard glare over her shoulder before returning her attention in the paper she's holding. But after only a few moments, she felt another tug.

For the nth time.

_That's it. S_he slammed her pen down and twisted in her chair to face the man sitting behind. "I mean it. Stop playing with my hair," she said sternly as she glared at him. He kept an innocent face, his usual stoic expression in place. But she can see a glimmer of satisfaction in his eyes.

_Jerk._

He leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest. After glaring at him for a few seconds, she straightened in her seat and continued working on the papers before her. How many students are enrolled in their school anyway? It felt like she's been tallying for hours now but the amount of papers in the box seemed the same as when she started. And the man behind her had done nothing but to annoy her. She inhaled a deeply when she felt him move again. "You know, they say that when a man plays with your hair, it means that he adores you," Mikasa said wryly.

She felt him stilled. _Good._ The man is really is getting on her nerves. But only after a few seconds, she heard herself gasp in surprise as she her head slightly tilted back as he gave her hair another tug. This time a little harder than before. "So?"

She twisted in her seat again and glowered at him. "What? You adore me now? Seriously, stop it. It's annoying," she said as she rummage in her bag and pulled a hair tie. She quickly gathered up her hair in a quick bun and resumed her task. Or at last she tried to resume her task. She only enjoyed a moment of peace before her hair cascaded down, the hair tie expertly removed from her hair. She can only sigh in exasperation as she wondered why she had o get stuck with him.

xxx

"You know, they say that when a man plays with your hair, it means that he adores you."

His hand stopped inches from her hair. He blinked as he processed what she said.

"So?" he drawled as he yank at her hair again, eliciting a surprised gasp from her. His lids lowered a fraction at the sound.

She twisted in her seat and Levi met her glare with his bored ones. He wanted to smirk. Clearly, she's irritated. Then she bowed her head and started to rummage in her bag. "What? You adore me now?"

_Hmmm… No, not really. I just want to irk you._

"Seriously, stop it. It's annoying," she said as she ran her hands through her hair. He watched her gather her hair and twisted it in a bun. His eyes narrowed at the coiled hair. He doesn't like it.

Not.

One.

Bit.

He just wanted to annoy her, really, because it's more fun than doing the work Hanji had coerced him to do. But he also likes the way her hair sway when she moves. The way it feels when he wraps it around his finger. And the irritated glares she gives him whenever he tugged at her hair. Without giving it a thought, he reached out his hand and watched as her hair slowly cascaded down her head. He reached for a lock of hair and started playing with it again, twirling it around his finger.

He heard an exasperated sigh and realized what he had just done.

_Damn._He didn't mean to go that far.

"Just let it down. It looks better that way," he said as he released the lock of hair twirled around his finger. He gave her hair a last tug before he moved in the seat in front of her. For the first time since he entered the room, he reached for a piece of paper and helped in tallying.

_I'm going to kill Hanji when she gets back, __he thought grimly._

_xxx_

_Meanwhile, somewhere in the streets of Sina, a certain woman wearing a pair of glasses suddenly stopped in her tracks as an ominous feeling descended upon her. Hanji crossed her fingers that Levi would not be pissed anymore when she gets back. "Are you alright, Hanji?" Petra asked her, a hint of worry in her face._

_"Yeah. I'm just wondering how many hours is left for me to enjoy the beauty of the world," she glumly muttered. __Looks like I need to think of something along the lines of Operation: Appease Levi__. _

_XXX_

_**Nothing much was really added. ehe **_

_**Sorry for the random beginning. **_

_**:D**_


	10. Chapter 10

Cameo!

"Colonel, please wipe the blood on your nose," the blond officer admonished his superior as she walk a step behind him. Said superior turned his head toward her and she almost sigh at the dumb look on his face. His eyes are all sparkly and his mouth is hanging open while a generous amount of blood is gushing out of his nose. "Skirts…girls in short school uniform…skirts everywhere…uwaaaahhhh….!" the black haired Colonel exclaimed as more blood spurted out of his nose. "Lieutenant, this place is an oasis!"

"Colonel, if you haven't noticed, you've been _scaring_ a lot of them with that _lewd _expression on your face." Her tone must have knocked some sense in him because he suddenly looked around and true enough most of the female students are edging away from them with a scared expression. His aura suddenly turned from euphoric to crest fallen. The military had been trying to make a good publicity (the military after all, had been involved in a lot of heavy scandal lately) and as a result the public relations office has made a decision to conduct a nationwide school to school campaign resembling a 'meet and greet' program. It is, in a way, an attempt to overturn the image of the military as a hideous entity being used to oppress the citizenry. In addition, it is also an opportunity to promote and encourage the students to join the military.

After a long deliberation, the project was handed to their team. According to the memo they received, 'the staffs of Colonel Roy Mustang appeared nonthreatening while at the same time possessing the necessary knowledge and skills regarding the workings of the military and therefore are deemed suitable for the project.' This had amused the colonel to no end. The other name being considered, after all, was that of Major General Olivier Mira Armstrong. And, after all their preparations (which includes contacting different schools and arranging for a forum slash meet and greet program), they are now here at their first stop: the Freedom International School of Sina. It seems like they are in great timing because the school is celebrating its founding anniversary. This means that the atmosphere will be more relaxed and therefore their job would be easier.

"Mr. Mustang… Ms. Riza?" they turned toward the source of the voice and were surprised to see an unexpected face.

XXX

**I don't know why I included them here. Maybe I've been reading too much Royai. Hehe **

**(Might remove it if readers don't like it. :P)**


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